Corporate Parenting Board

Purpose of committee

The Council has
Corporate Parenting responsibility for Children Looked After (CLA)
and Care Leavers up to the age of 25.
The council endeavours to treat CLA and Care Leavers as
“their own” children.

The
Corporate Parenting Board (CPB) acts to assist the Council in
continuing to fulfil its legal obligations and responsibilities
towards CLA and leaving care under the Children Act 1989, Children
Leaving Care Act 2000, Children and Families Act 2014 and all
associated legislation, regulations and statutory guidance
pertaining to CLA and Care Leavers within England.

The CPB meets five
times per year and an annual Work Programme is agreed in April each
year.

Terms of reference

1.To ensure that the Council and all its partners
(residents, businesses, public agencies, and the wider community)
have a joint commitment to corporate parenting to ensure ongoing
improvements for children and young people who are CLA and Care
Leavers.

2.To oversee and monitor the implementation of the CLA
Strategy, and the quality and effectiveness of services, to ensure
that they fulfil the council’s responsibilities and achieve
good outcomes for CLA and Care Leavers.

a.the
implementation and progress of relevant legislation and government
guidance and its impacts to ensure services are responsive to the
needs of CLA and Care Leavers;

b.the quality
and effectiveness of key services commissioned and delivered across
the council and partner agencies; and,

c.key
performance indicators on a quarterly basis regarding the quality
of life outcomes for CLA and Care Leavers in relation to health,
educational attainment, accommodation, employment, and
training.

5.To ensure that the voice and opinions of as wide a
range as possible of CLA and Care
Leavers, including those with disabilities, are heard and that
their views are used to co-produce services, shape policy and
monitor performance.

6.To receive reports in sufficient detail to undertake
their strategic responsibilities on the work of all key agencies
that provide services for CLA and Care Leavers including health,
adoption and fostering, Lambeth Safeguarding Children’s
Board, Virtual School, and Independent Reviewing Officers as
required from the local authority and partner agencies.

7.To maintain a strategic overview of the development
of new policies, procedures and initiatives to ensure these are in
line with local and national priorities and objectives including
the Corporate Parenting Strategy and CLA Strategy; and that they
will effectively meet the needs of CLA and Care Leavers.

8.To make recommendations (through the Chair) to
decision makers in Lambeth Council and its strategic partners as it
deems appropriate to fulfil its Corporate Parenting
duty.

9.To consider recommendations from internal and
external inspections and reviews (for example, Ofsted inspections),
to agree the actions needed to address any issues identified, and
to evaluate the implementation of any plans agreed that are
relevant to CLA and Care Leavers.